Getting Back On The Bike: NBC Buys Back Stake In Dew Tour That It Sold To MTV

Dew Tour will continue to air on MTV2, NBC and USA Network this summer

NBCUniversal has bought back a stake in the Dew Tour that it sold to MTV in '08 "in a deal that values the property and its assets" at $40-60M, according to Tripp Mickle of SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. The deal puts the Dew Tour “back exclusively in the hands of the NBC Sports Group.” NBC sold MTV a stake in the tour three years ago “because officials believed that MTV’s cable networks, digital expertise and appeal to youth could help expand the tour’s fan base.” But Comcast’s acquisition of NBC “meant the company had more assets and gave its executives confidence that it could build the tour independently now.” The Dew Tour will “still air on MTV2 this summer, as well as NBC and USA Network.” NBC Sports Group Senior VP/Business Development Kevin Monaghan said that NBC after this summer will “look to shift the programming to Versus and Comcast regional sports networks.” Mickle reports the value of Alli Sports, which operates the Dew Tour, has increased “from a reported $15 million to $30 million valuation in 2008 to a $40 million to $60 million valuation today.” The size of MTV’s stake in Alli Sports “remains unknown.” The tour is “in the middle of negotiating renewals with all of its title partners: Mountain Dew for the summer and winter tours; Gatorade for the Free Flow Tour; and Lucas Oil for the AMA Motocross Series.” In the wake of NBC’s acquisition, Allisports.com “will move from an MTV-supported Web platform to an NBC-supported one.” MTV Networks Music Group COO Alex Ferrari said that MTV2, which “is where most Dew Tour programming aired, will still show sports but the company has no specific plans in action sports” (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 6/20 issue).